It All Started With A Tournament
by Little Red Panda
Summary: HIATUS! REWRITING ALL CHAPTERS.
1. Chapter 1

The sun was just coming up, it glorious rays shining in the sky. A small village just south of the Valley of Peace, was waking up to greet the day. The villagers started to open their doors and windows to allow the fresh air and light in. The farmers walked to their fields and began working on their crops, knowing that this season was going to be a good harvest. One family had not awoken, they lived near the river and didn't start their day as early as the rest of the villagers. Well, only one member of the family did, a young red panda, named Shifu. He was always the first up and the last one to go to sleep, he loved watching the sun rise above the tall mountain peeks. But Shifu's favorite sight was the beautiful, soft, green glow in the distance that was the Jade Palace, where Grand Master Oogway resided.

Ever since he journeyed to the palace to watch the masters train in the arena. He could not help but fall in love with the Kung Fu. The way the movements seem to flow like a the river he lived by. Every morning he would go by the river and practice the moves he had seen the masters of the Jade Palace do. Just by watching them one time Shifu managed to copy the movements exactly, of course he was little rough at first, and needed the proper training. He was now practicing his stance, keeping balance on the rock in the middle of the river.

"SHIFU!" a young girl yelled. SPLASH! Shifu ended up in the river, the fact that someone was out here at this time caught him off guard. No one came out to the river at this time, at least not til the sun was above the mountains.

"OH! Shifu, I'm soo sorry! I-I for-I didn't know you were up this early," the little raccoon girl said as she ran to the river side. Shifu now soaking wet, was at the shore looking up at the raccoon. The fact that he was caught of guard, made him angry with himself, not only that he was a little embarrassed someone had seen him.

"Uh...good morning, Shifu," she said to him.

"Good morning, Min," Shifu responded.

"Oh, I'm really sorry, I-I really didn't me-mean to scare you." Min apologized.

"It's okay. It was my fault, I wasn't concentrating," Shifu said now ringing some of the water from his robe. Min just stared at him, she really like Shifu, but she just didn't know how to tell him about the news that's going around the village without seeming like a stalker.

"Um...Shifu, there's this...well...I kind of noticed, your really good, at..." Min trailed off.

"I'm really good at what?" Shifu responded, giving Min his full attention.

"Well, um...you see, uh, your really good at Kung Fu...and there's this-"

"How do you know I'm good at kung fu? Ha-have you been watching me?"

"Uh...well, yeah...I'm soo sorry, Shifu. I really I'm it's just I saw you doing it one morning and then the next day. And well...I- there's this-uh, Oh, I'm really sorry. I swear I won't do it again. Shifu please don't be mad!" the poor little raccoon pleaded.

"Uh...I'm not mad. I just didn't know you were watching me. No, Min please don't cry. What was that thing you wanted to tell me about," Shifu said trying to keep Min from crying. "WellthemasterattheJadePalaceareholdingatournament.Theyarelookingforeageropponetstotesttheirskills!ThewinnerwillbetaughtbyMasterOogwayhimself!" Min said extremely fast.

"Can you repeat that, please. A little more slowly?" Shifu asked.

"Fine, the masters at the Jade Palace are holding a tournament. They are looking for eager opponents to test their skills. The winner will be taught by Master Oogway himself," she finished, "Uh...Shifu...are you okay?"

Shifu didn't move a muscle, his mind was blank; he was in complete shock. Min continued to ask him if he was okay, but Shifu couldn't hear her.


	2. Chapter 2

"_The winner will be taught by Master Oogway, himself..." _rang in Shifu's mind. He was overcome by absolute joy. Shifu could no longer hold back how happy he actually was.

"Shifu...are y-" Shifu kissed Min. The raccoon girl just stood there, her mouth slight open, as the red panda pulled away from her cheek. He looked at the shocked Min, and suddenly realized what he did. Immediately he turned away embarrassed.

"I…I'll see you to…morrow…"Min said, walking back toward the village, completely stunned.

"Ye-yeah…see…you…then," Shifu responded, not looking back at the raccoon. He walked back to the river, and the sunshine was gleaming off the water. The sunrise had come and gone in the at short amount of time. Yet, this young red panda couldn't believe his luck. He went right back to train, he wanted to win that tournament. As he was out on the rock in the middle of the river, a group of red pandas came out and stared at him.

"SHIFU!" the old red panda yelled. Shifu jumped off the rock and back on the bank, turned around his ears flat against his head.

"Shifu! I thought we told you no more of this 'kung fu' stuff!" his father said sternly.

"I'm sorry, father…it's just-

"Shifu get inside and get ready." his father commanded. He quickly ran inside and changed, preparing for the morning rush. With his apron on, Shifu met his father in the kitchen.

"I thought we talked about this, son…"his father sighed.

"I know, father, but it's just that I don't to be here forever! I-"

"Shifu! I told you that, this place is going to be your's one day! All of it, and I want to make sure you are ready."

"I know, but…I don't want to be a dumpling maker for the rest of my life!"

"We have been making dumpling for generations! There is no higher honor in our family then carrying on this proud tradition."

"But fa-"

"End of discussion! We have customers arriving…now," his father yelled. Shifu obey his father, went in to the court yard to get the orders from the customers. As he was going back and forth, Shifu started to practice his kung fu moves in a more creative way. The customers, were impressed by the young red panda's skill that they started to get become louder. The sudden increase in noise alerted Shifu's father in the kitchen, his large ears, always turning toward the courtyard. Finally, feed up with the minor distraction he marched toward the sound, and nearly dropped the plate of dumplings he had finished making. The little red panda, was leaping around the courtyard, grabbing the dirty dishes and the flipping toward the kitchen. Not realizing that his father was standing in the door way the perfect landing, that Shifu had been doing ended up with broken dishes, and dumplings all over the ground.

"SHIFU! I TOLD YOU NO MORE OF THIS 'KUNG FU' STUFF!" yelled his father after all the customers had left. Shifu, standing in the corner of the kitchen with his ears flat against his head stared at his father.

"I-I am sorry f-"

"SHIFU, DO YOU THINK AN APOLOGY IS GOING TO FIX THESE DISHES, OR PAY FOR THESE WASTED DUMPLINGS!" his father shouted louder. The small red panda continued to stare at his father, knowing there was nothing he say to make things right again. "You've given me no choice but to send to Shen Chi Temple. You need discipline, and the monks there will be the ones to teach it."

"Father, no! Please, I will behave! Don't se-"

"Shifu you have to go, I have given you too many chances. So I want you to go and pack you things we leave tomorrow morning." with that his father left the small red panda cub alone.


	3. Chapter 3

Shifu put some extra robes in is rucksack, he looked out of his window. It was dark and a moonless night, the perfect time to leave, no one would see him. He opened his door carefully and listened to the snoring coming from the room down the hall, his father's room. Shifu tiptoed down the stairs to kitchen where, he grabbed some food for his trip.

"_Shifu you shouldn't do this."_ said the little voice of reason.

"_I have to! I want to be a master of kung fu! My father doesn't understand. I have to leave." _Shifu responded. The voice continued to tell him that running away was not necessary, but Shifu silenced it. Having every thing that he need the red panda started his trip, melting in the darkness of the buildings. The cold wind nipped at Shifu's nose and the babbling of the river in the distant sang good-bye to him. Walking toward the village in the Valley of Peace, and more specifically the Jade Palace, the red panda smiled.

Then Shifu's ears started to twitch, a thunderous sound was coming near him. The red panda ducked behind the some brush. As the sound got closer Shifu peeked from behind, and could not make out what was coming, only knew that there must be a lot of them. As they edge closer the silhouette of alligators appeared. The gang of alligators stopped and went toward the brush where the red panda cub was hiding.

"Sir, why are we stopping?" one of the gators said.

"We have to come up with a plan of action, if we go in now they will alert those in the Jade Palace in moments. We need to be discreet about this." the leader stated.

"Understood, Sir. But why must we stop here we, are soo close the village now." the first gator responded.

"Because we must figure who among us will go in the village and pose as a traveler. We have to know what they use to trigger the signal to the Jade Palace." the Leader stated. "So we must act now. I want you two to go into the village. Give us the signal. Then we will move in now we must hurry. There is a tournament being held at the Jade Palace, and this will pose a problem with our take over."

"Right, Sir!" said two gators. They then left and ran toward the village.

"AHHHCHOOO!" a monstrous sneeze came from the small red panda cub. The rest to the alligator gang looked around. Shifu stayed rooted on the spot, he didn't know what to do.

"Sir, I believe the sound came from those bushes over there." one the gators pointed.

"Then go and find what made the noise!" the leader yelled. As the gang of gators came toward the now terrified Shifu, some was calling his name. The red panda's ears perked up to the familiar sound of his father. The red panda cub wanted to call to his father to stay away, but he couldn't give his position away.

"SHIFU! SHIFU WHERE ARE YOU!" his father's yelling getting louder as he came closer. "SHIF-"

"Well, well, what have we here? A small animal." the leader said baring his teeth.

"Have you-you seen my son? He has red fur, and big ears." his father told the alligator leader.

"Why no, we have not, but we would gladly help you look for him. We heard a noise coming from those bushes. Why don't you go over and look." he said, giving the red panda a friendly smile.

"Shifu, please say something!" his father yelled. Shifu stayed where he was, but this father's footsteps were getting closer.


End file.
